Harry Potter and the Inferi Cohort

Chapter 3: Inferi Friends

They had descended the eight staircases into the dungeons and were now passing along the corridor past the Potions classroom and Snape's quarters when they heard someone shout out.

"Harry! Professor McGonagall! I'm so glad you're here. Professor Flitwick collapsed and Luna and I have been trying to revive him," Hermione called breathlessly to them from the depths of the Professor's private rooms. She shrieked, though, when she saw the Inferi and started firing off spells.

"Hermione! Stop!" Harry said, stepping in front of her and spreading his arms wide. She stood frozen, her wand arm extended and another blasting hex on her lips while bewilderment infused her features. "They're with me. I'll explain later."

"Huh?" Hermione uttered, dazed.

"What did you say about Professor Flitwick?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Oh, Harry! Did you kiss a moon frog? Is that how you gained the trust of these Vrykolakas?" Luna asked from behind Hermione. Her placid face was alight with curiosity.

"What?"

"Oh, for Merlin's sake!" Draco choked out. "Stop your chittering and throw us in the dungeons already!"

Harry looked over at Draco... his complexion was nearly as grey as the Inferi gripping him and there was sick dribbling down the front of his robes.

Professor McGonagall had followed Hermione into Professor Snape's quarters to look after Professor Flitwick. Harry was tempted to follow as well, but didn't want to be subjected to the dressing down he'd get for leading a gaggle of dank skin-sluffing zombies over Snape's handknotted carpet. He had slipped more than once tonight on the oily puddles of flesh they shed.

Luna was wandering among the Inferi making small talk with them... unbothered by their creepy grins and tittering responses. The Death Eaters seemed to be as repulsed by her curiosity as they were by the walking skeletons holding them.

At last, Professor McGonagall emerged guiding a floating stretcher bearing the petite Charms instructor and gave clipped instructions to Hermione and Luna to take Professor Flitwick to the hospital wing. She rejoined Harry at the front of the ghastly procession and led the way to an expanse of undecorated stone wall.

She cast a shield that put her in a bubble of invisible silence and she reappeared as the stones were reorganizing themselves with grinding dissonance into ribbed and pointed arches that plunged into inky depths until torches popped into sconces along the corridor. The flickering light illuminated evenly spaced doorways with heavy iron doors that descended into nothingness. By each door, a suit of armor stood on either side, lances in their right hands, swords on their hips and the Hogwarts coat of arms embossed on their chests. Just like the suits of armor throughout the school, they varied in stature and girth. Slight sounds of metal moving against metal made Harry think that they weren't simply decoration.

"Harry, have them put one prisoner in each cell," Professor McGonagall ordered brusquely as moved to the first dungeon door and tapped it with her wand. It swung open on protesting hinges.

As they deposited the Death Eaters into their cells, Harry noticed their obvious relief to be separated from their captors. Professor McGonagall put enchantments on each cell for added security and also made sure that they each had blankets, food, and water.

When they had incarcerated all of the Death Eaters, Professor McGonagall turned to Harry, her mouth a tight line.

"You could ask your... your helpers to stay down here... help guard the prisoners?" What started out as a suggestion ended as a question.

Harry was looking around at his motley crew... they had turned their mournful gazes upon him... those who still had eyes, that is.

"I'm not sure I can," Harry said hesitantly. He wasn't exactly sure why he felt this way... a suspicion, a lingering doubt, a niggling question at the back of his mind. He felt inexorably connected to the Inferi... more than just his growing gratitude for what they had done for him and all his friends, the Order of the Phoenix—all of Hogwarts for that matter. "I guess I can try."